Alex Hernandez

1 week ago | blockclubchicago.org | Alex Hernandez

IRVING PARK — Irving Park’s puppet-staffed ice cream spot is returning to the Color Club to serve icy treats this summer. The Sugar Hole at Color Club, 4146 N. Elston Ave., will reopen 3 p.m. May 17 via the “hobbit door” facing Hamlin Avenue.  Opening-day celebrations will include a 10 a.m. puppet-themed make-and-move class hosted by Brain to Belly Kids Yoga and a 2:30 p.m. parade with music where customers are encouraged to bring their own puppet.

1 week ago | blockclubchicago.org | Alex Hernandez

LINCOLN SQUARE — A business is taking Chicago’s motto — “city in a garden” — to heart by cultivating flowers in neighbors’ yards, parkways and other spots and selling them. Maru Braemer’s Monarch Beauty Farm uses residential gardens to grow a variety of flowers, with customers subscribing to Monarch to get fresh, locally sourced blooms in winter, spring and fall bouquets. The business, which started in 2022, now has gardens in Ravenswood, Lincoln Square and North Center.

1 week ago | blockclubchicago.org | Alex Hernandez

LINCOLN SQUARE — The heart of Lincoln Square will reopen to cars Monday — the same day a nearby section of road will be blocked off to drivers as part of construction in the area. The 4700 block of North Lincoln Avenue has been car-free since April 21 as part of construction to upgrade the Western Avenue Brown Line station, a nearby public plaza and parking lot.

1 week ago | blockclubchicago.org | Alex Hernandez

LINCOLN SQUARE — Businesses along the temporary car-free heart of Lincoln Square are encouraging neighbors to shop local Saturday with a game of business bingo and to show off their purchases during an afternoon fashion show. The construction-mandated closure of 4700 block of North Lincoln Avenue to cars has given neighbors a taste of what a pedestrian- and bike-only Lincoln Square could look like.

1 week ago | blockclubchicago.org | Alex Hernandez

LINCOLN SQUARE — The heart of Lincoln Square could reopen to cars next week now that the emergency repair of ComEd infrastructure is complete, officials said. The 4700 block of North Lincoln Avenue has been temporarily car-free since last week as part of construction to upgrade the Western Avenue Brown Line station, a nearby public plaza and parking lot. The car-free zone was originally slated to last one week.